Native Instruments komplete kontrol s series User manual

MANUAL

The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a
commitment on the part of Native Instruments GmbH. The software described by this docu-
ment is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media. No part of this
publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose,
without prior written permission by Native Instruments GmbH, hereinafter referred to as Native
Instruments.
“Native Instruments”, “NI” and associated logos are (registered) trademarks of Native Instru-
ments GmbH.
Ableton is a trademark of Ableton AG.
VST, HALion, Cubase, and Nuendo are registered trademarks of Steinberg Media Technologies
GmbH. ASIO is a trademark and software of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
Mac, macOS, GarageBand, Logic, iTunes and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.,
registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Windows, Windows Vista and DirectSound are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation
in the United States and/or other countries.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners and use of them does not imply
any affiliation with or endorsement by them.
Document authored by: Jan Ola Korte, Christian Schulz, Gustav Sto. Tomas, David Gover, and
Nicolas Sidi
Software version: 1.9.2 (12/2017)
Hardware version: KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series MK2
Special thanks to the Beta Test Team, who were invaluable not just in tracking down bugs, but
in making this a better product.
Disclaimer

NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GmbH
Schlesische Str. 29-30
D-10997 Berlin
Germany
www.native-instruments.de
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS North America, Inc.
6725 Sunset Boulevard
5th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90028
USA
www.native-instruments.com
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS K.K.
YO Building 3F
Jingumae 6-7-15, Shibuya-ku,
Tokyo 150-0001
Japan
www.native-instruments.co.jp
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS UK Limited
18 Phipp Street
London EC2A 4NU
UK
www.native-instruments.co.uk
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS FRANCE SARL
113 Rue Saint-Maur
75011 Paris
France
www.native-instruments.com
SHENZHEN NATIVE INSTRUMENTS COMPANY Limited
203B & 201B, Nanshan E-Commerce Base Of
Innovative Services
Shi Yun Road, Shekou, Nanshan, Shenzhen
China
www.native-instruments.com
© NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GmbH, 2017. All rights reserved.
Contact

Table of Contents
1 Welcome to KOMPLETE KONTROL ............................................................................... 11
1.1 Document Conventions ............................................................................................................... 11
1.2 Box Contents .............................................................................................................................. 13
1.3 System Requirements ................................................................................................................. 14
1.4 Accessibility ............................................................................................................................... 15
1.4.1 Keyboard Overview ..................................................................................................... 15
1.4.2 Activating Accessibility Features ............................................................................... 18
1.4.3 Training Mode ............................................................................................................ 19
1.4.4 Feature Overview ....................................................................................................... 19
2 New Features in KOMPLETE KONTROL 1.9.2 ................................................................21
3 The KOMPLETE KONTROL Workflow ............................................................................ 22
4 Setting up KOMPLETE KONTROL .................................................................................. 24
4.1 Connecting the Keyboard to the Computer .................................................................................. 25
4.2 Setting up the Stand-Alone Application ...................................................................................... 26
4.3 Setting up Host Integration ........................................................................................................ 28
4.3.1 Setting up Apple Logic Pro X and GarageBand .......................................................... 29
4.3.2 Setting up Steinberg Cubase/Nuendo ........................................................................ 29
4.3.3 Setting up Ableton Live (macOS) ............................................................................... 30
4.3.4 Setting up Ableton Live (Windows) ............................................................................ 32
4.4 Connecting Pedals to the Keyboard ............................................................................................ 33
4.5 Connecting External MIDI Equipment to the Keyboard ................................................................ 37
5 Software Overview ..................................................................................................... 38
5.1 Header ........................................................................................................................................ 39
5.2 Browser ...................................................................................................................................... 41
5.2.1 Library Pane .............................................................................................................. 42
Table of Contents
KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series - Manual - 4

5.2.2 Instrument Selector ................................................................................................... 44
5.2.3 Files Pane .................................................................................................................. 46
5.3 Perform Panel ............................................................................................................................. 47
5.4 Plug-in Panel .............................................................................................................................. 48
5.5 MIDI Assignment Editor .............................................................................................................. 48
5.6 Instrument Area .......................................................................................................................... 50
6 Keyboard Overview ....................................................................................................51
6.1 Perform and Edit Section ............................................................................................................ 54
6.2 Transport Section ....................................................................................................................... 55
6.3 Control Section ........................................................................................................................... 56
6.4 Mode Buttons ............................................................................................................................. 57
6.5 Navigation and the 4-D Encoder ................................................................................................. 58
6.6 Keybed and Light Guide .............................................................................................................. 59
6.7 Modulation Wheels ..................................................................................................................... 60
6.8 Touch Strip ................................................................................................................................. 61
6.9 Transpose and Fixed Velocity Buttons ......................................................................................... 62
7 Global Controls and Preferences ................................................................................ 63
7.1 Instrument Views ........................................................................................................................ 63
7.1.1 Default View .............................................................................................................. 64
7.1.2 Additional View .......................................................................................................... 64
7.1.3 Edit View ................................................................................................................... 66
7.2 Switching Instances ................................................................................................................... 67
7.3 Transport and Tempo .................................................................................................................. 69
7.3.1 Resetting the Clock ................................................................................................... 70
7.3.2 Adjusting Tempo ........................................................................................................ 70
7.4 Adjusting Master Volume ............................................................................................................ 71
Table of Contents
KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series - Manual - 5

7.5 Preferences ................................................................................................................................. 71
7.5.1 Preferences – Audio Page .......................................................................................... 72
7.5.2 Preferences – MIDI Page ............................................................................................ 75
7.5.3 Preferences – General Page ....................................................................................... 76
7.5.4 Preferences – Library Page ........................................................................................ 78
7.5.5 Preferences – Plug-ins Page ..................................................................................... 83
7.6 Keyboard Settings ....................................................................................................................... 86
8 MIDI Communication .................................................................................................88
8.1 Host Automation ......................................................................................................................... 89
8.1.1 Automation IDs for the Perform Panel ........................................................................ 89
8.1.2 Recording Automation ............................................................................................... 90
8.2 Using the Keyboard in MIDI Mode ............................................................................................... 93
8.3 Using the Keyboard as Stand-Alone MIDI Controller ................................................................... 94
8.4 Using the MIDI Assignment Editor .............................................................................................. 96
8.4.1 Assigning MIDI Messages to Control Elements .......................................................... 97
8.4.2 Renaming Control Elements ...................................................................................... 98
8.4.3 The Mapping System ................................................................................................. 99
8.4.4 MIDI Message Types – Type Menu .............................................................................. 101
8.4.5 Assignments for Knobs .............................................................................................. 102
8.4.6 Assignments for Buttons ........................................................................................... 103
8.4.7 Assignments for Pedals (Switch) ............................................................................... 104
8.4.8 Assignments for Pedals (Continuous) ........................................................................ 106
8.4.9 Assignments for the Touch Strip ................................................................................ 106
9 Host Integration ........................................................................................................108
9.1 Integration with MASCHINE ........................................................................................................ 108
9.1.1 Overview of Basic Control Functions .......................................................................... 109
Table of Contents
KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series - Manual - 6

9.1.2 Using the Arrange buttons ......................................................................................... 112
9.2 Integration with Apple Logic Pro X and GarageBand .................................................................. 120
9.3 Integration with Steinberg Cubase / Nuendo .............................................................................. 125
9.4 Integration with Ableton Live ...................................................................................................... 130
10 Browsing the Library .................................................................................................. 136
10.1 Browser Basics ........................................................................................................................... 136
10.1.1 About the Library and Meta-Information .................................................................... 136
10.1.2 Browsing the Library vs. Browsing Your Hard Disks ................................................... 137
10.2 Opening the Browser .................................................................................................................. 138
10.3 Overview of the Browser on the Keyboard ................................................................................... 138
10.4 Choosing Between Factory Content and User Content ................................................................ 139
10.5 Loading an Instrument with its default Preset File ..................................................................... 141
10.6 Filtering Preset Files by Bank ..................................................................................................... 145
10.7 Resetting the Instrument Selection ............................................................................................ 147
10.8 Types and Modes Filters ............................................................................................................. 148
10.8.1 Filtering Preset Files by Types and Modes .................................................................. 151
10.8.2 Selecting Multiple Tags from the Same Level ............................................................ 155
10.9 Working with Favorites ............................................................................................................... 155
10.9.1 Adding Preset Files to the Favorites ........................................................................... 156
10.9.2 Displaying Favorites in the Results List ..................................................................... 158
10.9.3 Removing Preset Files from the Favorites .................................................................. 159
10.10 Performing a Text Search ............................................................................................................ 161
10.11 Displaying Preset File Information .............................................................................................. 161
10.12 Auditioning your Preset Files ...................................................................................................... 162
11 Managing the Library ................................................................................................. 164
11.1 Saving Preset Files to the User Library ....................................................................................... 164
Table of Contents
KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series - Manual - 7

11.2 Deleting User Preset Files from the User Library ......................................................................... 166
11.3 Editing the Tags and Properties of User Preset Files .................................................................. 167
11.4 Working with the Files Pane ........................................................................................................ 170
11.4.1 Additional Features in the Results List in the Files Pane ........................................... 171
11.4.2 Navigating to File Locations with the Location Bar .................................................... 172
11.4.3 Navigating to Recent File Locations .......................................................................... 173
11.4.4 Working with File Location Favorites .......................................................................... 173
11.5 Loading VST Plug-ins ................................................................................................................. 175
11.6 Installing NKS Instruments ......................................................................................................... 177
11.7 Importing KOMPLETE KONTROL-Compatible User Files ............................................................... 180
12 Controlling Instrument Parameters ............................................................................. 182
12.1 Pre-Mapped Instruments ............................................................................................................ 182
12.2 Adjusting Parameters ................................................................................................................. 182
12.3 Switching Parameter Pages ........................................................................................................ 183
12.4 Customizing Parameter Mappings .............................................................................................. 183
13 Playing and Editing Scales and Chords .......................................................................186
13.1 A Note about Music Theory .......................................................................................................... 187
13.2 Playing a Scale ........................................................................................................................... 188
13.3 Playing Chords ........................................................................................................................... 189
13.4 Editing Scales and Chords ......................................................................................................... 189
13.5 Setting the Scale Parameters ..................................................................................................... 190
13.5.1 Scale Root Note ......................................................................................................... 191
13.5.2 Scale Bank and Type ................................................................................................. 192
13.6 Setting the Key Mode Parameter ................................................................................................. 198
13.7 Setting the Chord Parameters .................................................................................................... 200
13.7.1 Chord Mode ............................................................................................................... 200
Table of Contents
KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series - Manual - 8

13.7.2 Chord Type ................................................................................................................. 202
13.7.3 Chord Position ........................................................................................................... 205
14 Playing and Editing the Arpeggiator ............................................................................207
14.1 Playing Arpeggiator Sequences .................................................................................................. 208
14.2 Using a Sustain Pedal to Control the Arpeggiator ....................................................................... 209
14.3 Using Arpeggiator Snapshots on the Keyboard ........................................................................... 209
14.4 Editing the Arpeggiator .............................................................................................................. 210
14.5 Setting the Main Parameters ...................................................................................................... 211
14.5.1 Main Mode ................................................................................................................. 212
14.5.2 Main Type .................................................................................................................. 212
14.6 Setting the Rhythm Parameters .................................................................................................. 213
14.6.1 Rhythm Rate .............................................................................................................. 213
14.6.2 Rhythm Sequence ...................................................................................................... 214
14.6.3 Rhythm Swing ........................................................................................................... 215
14.7 Setting the Other Parameters ..................................................................................................... 216
14.7.1 Other Octaves ............................................................................................................ 216
14.7.2 Other Dynamic ........................................................................................................... 217
14.7.3 Other Gate ................................................................................................................. 217
14.8 Setting the Advanced Parameters .............................................................................................. 218
14.8.1 Advanced Retrigger ................................................................................................... 218
14.8.2 Advanced Repeat ....................................................................................................... 219
14.8.3 Advanced Offset ........................................................................................................ 219
14.8.4 Advanced Inversion ................................................................................................... 219
14.9 Setting the Range Parameters .................................................................................................... 220
14.9.1 Range Min. Key .......................................................................................................... 220
14.9.2 Range Max. Key ......................................................................................................... 220
Table of Contents
KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series - Manual - 9

14.10 Setting the Hold Parameter ........................................................................................................ 221
15 Troubleshooting ........................................................................................................222
Index ........................................................................................................................224
Table of Contents
KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series - Manual - 10

1 Welcome to KOMPLETE KONTROL
Thank you for choosing KOMPLETE KONTROL!
The KOMPLETE KONTROL software and its dedicated keyboard—the KOMPLETE KONTROL
S-Series—form a tightly integrated music production and performance system that brings all
the sounds from KOMPLETE and the Native Kontrol Standard (NKS) to the heart of your work-
flow.
KOMPLETE KONTROL offers advanced integration with a number of hosts and provides full
control of any Instruments supporting NKS, both from Native Instruments and partners. The
keyboard lets you browse your Instruments in an intuitive way and play them creatively with
KOMPLETE KONTROL’s unique Scale engine and Arpeggiator.
We hope you enjoy this fantastic instrument as much as we do.
—The team at Native Instruments
1.1 Document Conventions
This document uses particular formatting to point out special facts and to warn you of poten-
tial issues. The icons introducing the following notes let you see what kind of information can
be expected:
The speech bubble icon indicates a useful tip that may often help you to solve a task
more efficiently.
The exclamation mark icon highlights important information that is essential for the giv-
en context.
The red cross icon warns you of serious issues and potential risks that require your full
attention.
Furthermore, the following formatting is used:
Welcome to KOMPLETE KONTROL
Document Conventions
KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series - Manual - 11

▪Text appearing in (drop-down) menus (such as Open…, Save as… etc.) in the software and
paths to locations on your hard disk or other storage devices is printed in italics.
▪Text appearing elsewhere (labels of buttons, controls, text next to checkboxes etc.) in the
software is printed in blue. Whenever you see this formatting applied, you will find the
same text appearing somewhere on the screen.
▪Text appearing on the displays of the controller is printed in light grey. Whenever you see
this formatting applied, you will find the same text on a controller display.
▪Text appearing on labels of the hardware controller is printed in orange. Whenever you see
this formatting applied, you will find the same text on the controller.
▪Important names and concepts are printed in bold.
▪References to keys on your computer’s keyboard you’ll find put in square brackets (e.g.,
“Press [Shift] + [Enter]”).
►Single instructions are introduced by this play button type arrow.
→Results of actions are introduced by this smaller arrow.
Naming Convention
Throughout the documentation we will refer to KOMPLETE KONTROL keyboard (or just keyboard)
as the hardware controller and KOMPLETE KONTROL software as the software installed on your
computer.
The term “effect” will sometimes be abbreviated as “FX” when referring to elements in the MA-
SCHINE software and hardware. These terms have the same meaning.
Unlabeled Buttons on the Keyboard
The buttons and knobs above and below the displays on the KOMPLETE KONTROL keyboard
do not have labels.
Welcome to KOMPLETE KONTROL
Document Conventions
KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series - Manual - 12

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
The unlabeled buttons and knobs on the KOMPLETE KONTROL keyboard.
For better reference, we applied a special formatting here: throughout the document, the ele-
ments are capitalized and numbered, so the buttons above the displays are written Button 1 to
Button 8, while the knobs under the displays are written Knob 1 to Knob 8.
1.2 Box Contents
The box contains the following items:
▪Information flyer providing:
▪the hardware serial number of the KOMPLETE KONTROL keyboard
▪a web link for downloading the KOMPLETE SELECT software bundle (including KOM-
PLETE KONTROL)
▪KOMPLETE KONTROL keyboard
▪Safety Instructions flyer
▪USB cable
Welcome to KOMPLETE KONTROL
Box Contents
KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series - Manual - 13

1.3 System Requirements
For KOMPLETE KONTROL to fully function as indented, your system needs to meet certain re-
quirements. The latest KOMPLETE KONTROL system requirements and compatibility informa-
tion is available here:
www.native-instruments.com/products/komplete/keyboards/komplete-kontrol-s-series/specifica-
tions/
KOMPLETE
KOMPLETE KONTROL is optimized for use with KOMPLETE 11 SELECT, KOMPLETE 11 and
KOMPLETE 11 ULTIMATE.
The latest KOMPLETE system requirements and compatibility information is available here:
www.native-instruments.com/products/komplete/bundles/komplete-11/specifications/
Welcome to KOMPLETE KONTROL
System Requirements
KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series - Manual - 14

1.4 Accessibility
KOMPLETE KONTROL offers a set of accessibility features for visually-impaired users. These
are focused exclusively on the KOMPLETE KONTROL keyboard itself and include speech out-
put via your computer for the following features:
▪Perform, Transpose, Page left / right buttons
▪All Browser functions
▪Instance switching
▪The current edit mode, including the Plug-in panel and the Perform panel (Scale, Arp)
▪Names of parameters and parameter sections when touching knobs, including all edit
modes
▪Tempo (KOMPLETE KONTROL stand-alone application only)
Please note that the accessibility features for KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series MK2 are
currently only available in macOS.
The accessibility features are particularly useful when combined with KOMPLETE KON-
TROL’s host integration and Apple VoiceOver in Apple Logic Pro X and GarageBand.
1.4.1 Keyboard Overview
The buttons and knobs on the KOMPLETE KONTROL keyboard are organized in the following
groups:
▪Perform and Edit section
▪Transport section
▪Solo and Mute buttons
▪Preset and Page buttons
▪Arrange buttons (only functional in MASCHINE)
Welcome to KOMPLETE KONTROL
Accessibility
KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series - Manual - 15

▪Control section
▪Navigation and Mode buttons
▪4-D encoder
▪Transpose and Fixed Velocity buttons
The Perform and Edit section is located at the top left of the keyboard. It contains six buttons
that are arranged in two rows.
The buttons in the first row are (from left to right):
▪SHIFT
▪SCALE (Edit)
▪ARP (Edit)
The buttons in the second row are (from left to right):
▪UNDO (Redo)
▪QUANTIZE
▪AUTO
The Transport section is located directly below the Perform and Edit section. It contains six
buttons that are arranged in two rows.
The buttons in the first row are (from left to right):
▪LOOP
▪METRO
▪TEMPO
The buttons in the second row are (from left to right):
▪PLAY (Metro)
▪REC (Count-In)
▪STOP
The Solo and Mute buttons are located to the top right of the Perform and Edit section. The
two buttons are arranged in a row.
Welcome to KOMPLETE KONTROL
Accessibility
KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series - Manual - 16

The buttons are (from left to right):
▪Mute
▪Solo
The Preset and Page buttons are located to the bottom right of the Perform and Edit section,
below the Solo and Mute buttons. The four buttons are arranged in a column.
The buttons are (from top to bottom):
▪PRESET Up
▪PRESET Down
▪Page Left and Page Right (next to each other)
The Arrange buttons, which are only functional in MASCHINE, are located to the right of the
Solo and Mute buttons and the Preset and Page buttons. The five buttons are arranged in a
column.
The buttons are (from top to bottom):
▪SCENE
▪PATTERN
▪TRACK
▪KEY MODE
▪CLEAR
The Control section is located in the center of the KOMPLETE KONTROL keyboard. It contains
eight buttons and eight knobs. The buttons are arranged in a row at the very top of the key-
board. The knobs are arranged in a row directly above the keybed.
The Navigation and Mode buttons are on the top right of the KOMPLETE KONTROL keyboard.
The six buttons are arranged in two rows.
The buttons in the first row are (from left to right):
▪BROWSER
▪PLUG-IN
▪MIXER
Welcome to KOMPLETE KONTROL
Accessibility
KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series - Manual - 17

The buttons in the second row are (from left to right):
▪INSTANCE
▪MIDI
▪SETUP
The 4-D encoder is located directly below the Navigation and Mode buttons.
The Transpose and Fixed Velocity buttons are located at the far left of the keyboard next to the
keybed and directly above the Pitch and Modulation wheels. The three buttons are arranged in
a row.
The buttons are (from left to right):
▪FIXED VEL (TS Mode)
▪OCT Down
▪OCT Up
1.4.2 Activating Accessibility Features
In order to activate or deactivate the accessibility features from the KOMPLETE KONTROL key-
board while the KOMPLETE KONTROL software is running:
1. Press and hold the SHIFT button on the top left of the keyboard.
2. While holding SHIFT press the MIXER button on the top right of the keyboard.
→The accessibility features are activated or deactivated.
When the accessibility features are activated, you can choose whether or not speech output
should be enabled for names of Preset files while browsing:
1. Press and hold the SHIFT button on the top left of the keyboard.
2. While holding SHIFT press Button 5 in the Control section.
→Speech output for names of Preset files while browsing is enabled or disabled.
Welcome to KOMPLETE KONTROL
Accessibility
KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series - Manual - 18

The accessibility features are designed to be used with the KOMPLETE KONTROL plug-
in. However, the KOMPLETE KONTROL stand-alone application must be opened after
initial installation and after installing additional Instruments. This will ensure that all In-
struments are displayed correctly in the KOMPLETE KONTROL Browser.
1.4.3 Training Mode
KOMPLETE KONTROL Training Mode makes it easy to locate a specific button or parameter
without accidentally triggering an action. When Training Mode is activated, all button presses
and parameter names are announced but the corresponding action is not triggered.
►To activate or deactivate Training Mode from the KOMPLETE KONTROL keyboard while
the KOMPLETE KONTROL software is running, double-press the SHIFT button on the top
left of the keyboard.
Training Mode is only available when the accessibility features have been activated.
1.4.4 Feature Overview
The following table outlines the availability of accessibility features for different aspects of
KOMPLETE KONTROL from both the KOMPLETE KONTROL keyboard and the KOM-
PLETE KONTROL software.
Welcome to KOMPLETE KONTROL
Accessibility
KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series - Manual - 19

Feature Accessible
from Key-
board
Accessibility Enable and disable Accessibility mode Yes
Browser Browse for Factory and User Preset files Yes
Switch between Category and Vendor sorting Yes
Set or sort by Favorites Yes
Save and edit User Preset files No
Browse for NKS plug-ins from other vendors Yes
Instrument control Adjust key Instrument parameters Yes
Custom map Instrument parameters No
Smart Play Adjust Scale & Chord parameters Yes
Adjust Arp parameters Yes
Touch Strips Adjust Touch Strip parameters No
Tempo Adjust BPM Yes
Training mode Find a control without accidentally triggering actions Yes
Preferences Adjust software & hardware preferences No
Software dialog Be notified if a dialog box opens in the software
(dialog content is not available for speech output)
Yes
Accessibility for KOMPLETE KONTROL’s host integration is only available when using
Apple VoiceOver in Logic Pro X and GarageBand. For more information about KOM-
PLETE KONTROL’s host integration features, refer to ↑9, Host Integration.
Welcome to KOMPLETE KONTROL
Accessibility
KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series - Manual - 20